Try These Pinto Bean Recipes

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My Favorite Pinto Bean Recipes

Pinto Bean Recipes are like a lot of other recipes...they're only limited by your imagination. There's an unlimited number of herbs and spices that will taste great in your beans. And it always comes down to you, your family's, and your guests tastes for how you cook 'em.

Often, as a child, a pot of pinto beans was not a side dish, but the only dish, except for maybe a pan of cornbread. My folks never heard too many complaints. I can't speak for the rest of the family, but I always enjoyed that simplicity.

Try this bean recipe first. I figured I'd start with this one since it's just about my pepper-lovin' favorite. Tone it down if you need to, or add some more hot stuff if you dare. Also, pinto bean recipes are easily doubled. Just cook in a larger pot if you've got lots of guests to feed.

Smokey-Hot Texas Pinto Beans

INGREDIENTS:
1 pounds dried pinto beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
6 cups cold water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cumin
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 chipotle, chopped, from a small can
1 tablespoon chipotle sauce from same can

DIRECTIONS:
Place beans in large saucepan with cold water, bay leaf, and sage.

Add water, beans, chipotle pepper and chipotle sauce. Simmer slowly for about 4 hours, making sure beans are always covered with water. When beans are soft but not mushy, they're done!

Here's one of the quickest, easiest pinto bean recipes you'll ever see. It takes about 20 minutes from start to finish.

Quick Texas Cowboy Pinto Beans

INGREDIENTS:
4 slices bacon
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed
2 cans (15 to 16 oz. each) pinto beans, rinsed, drained
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:
In large skillet, cook bacon over low heat until crisp, turning occasionally. Remove from skillet; drain on paper towels.

Remove all except 2 tablespoons of drippings from skillet. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic.

Cook and stir over medium heat 3-5 minutes or until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Crumble bacon. Return to skillet. Cover, cooking 5 minutes or until heated through, and stirring often.

It wouldn't be right without one of your pinto bean recipes being the great Mexican favorite of Refried Beans. After all, these are considered the "mashed potatoes" of Mexico.

Frijoles Refritos (Refried Beans)

This recipe is so easy and delicious, you'll quit buying the refried beans that are already mashed in the can.

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup of lard or vegetable oil (Lard is more authentic, but it's understandable if you use vegetable oil.)
3 cups of cooked pinto beans from a recipe above, or use 2 cans of pintos (Canned works just fine here), reserving 1/2 cup of the broth
The 1/2 cup broth
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Melt down the lard (if using) or heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beans and mash them until semi-smooth with a potato masher or fork. Stir in the salt, then start adding the broth and black pepper, mashing the whole time, until all ingredients are incorporated well and refried beans reach your desired consistency. In Mexico, chunky is usually preferred over soupy refried beans.

A couple of things you can try that make these beans stand out:
-Add a cup of chopped onions and/or 1 tablespoon of minced garlic to the heating lard until soft.
-Use bacon grease instead of lard (perfect for breakfast refried beans)

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